*In honor of the OKC shelter pledging to be no-kill by 2010, Im using my birthday money (*COUGH*MONDAY*COUGH*) to buy some fleece blankies and bags of raw hides to donate. A friend is dropping them off for me, though, as I dont 'do well' at shelters...)

Unfortunately I can't adopt a puppeh since I spend too much time at work, and I'd hate to leave the poor thing home alone for most of the day, but I *can* donate to my local shelter. :-) Thanks for the idea!

A 14 month old cat named Gir recently consented to allow me to share his apartment. He rocks seriously hard. As wylann said it's hard to remember what life was like. He was at the Humane Society for an unfathomable reason, being a lovely people cat and a serious glutton for scritching.

Bob - I was thinking about that. Are they really that independent? I can be gone for over 12 hours sometimes (I'm a programmer.). I've seen automatic feeders for just such an occasion, but if a cat can handle that, I would *love* to have a pet again.

Lledowyn: yes, cats can be left alone for that long, even longer (we have left ours alone for a weekend). You don't need an automatic feeder, just a bowl full of dry food and a bowl of water. Canned/moist food is a nice thing but not a necessity; you can always give it to the cat when you get home if you want.

You might think about a little bit older cat...1 year+...if you are gone all day. They don't require as much attention as a kitten, who has all the energy of a toddler and WILL destroy your house if bored enough. (speaking from current experience as we are the owners of a currently 14 week old Siamese kitten)

Get a cat and enjoy pet ownership. One plus of an older cat is that they usually have been spayed/neutered and have had all their shots.

I would I COULD get a dog; I grew up with them and it seems odd to live without one. But I work long hours, and have a tiny apartment with no yard to speak of... not a good situation for dog ownership.

Lledowyn: If you're gone that long every day, you might be better off getting two cats. They keep each other company while you're gone, and will be much happier -- especially if you keep them indoors all the time (a *very* good idea). My husband and I both often work very long hours, and the cats are happy to see us, but not going stir-crazy with boredom.

For those of you that would like a cat but are not sure, I suggest fostering. I started fostering cats (mainly kittens) 18 months ago, and it's great. I live in a third floor apartment, so all the kitties I get are indoor ones.

Fostering a cat means that they don't have to live in a shelter while a permanent home is found for them. And you get all the food provided free. And you don't have to worry about veterinary bills. And most importantly, they are tons of fun! They really make a house a home.

If you get attached to it, you can elect to keep it, though I've come to prefer fostering as it gives you a chance to get to know lots of cats and see their characters develop (parting with them is often a bit painful, though).

Give your local shelter a ring today and find out what the options are.

Karen wrote "If you're gone that long every day, you might be better off getting two cats."

That's right. I fostered twins (pic) last year which were more than happy to play with each other all day. Lone kittens need lots of attention though, otherwise they will go nuts. Older cats are okay on their own for long periods.

The only problem with siblings is that although they might be okay when young, they may develop problems when they get older.

The one-year-old I have at the moment had to be split from his sister because he was getting agressive, though the fact that the owners didn't bother to neuter him was probably an issue.